Grateful
by LeJoriLover1993
Summary: This is a short Jori one-shot about Thanksgiving. Tori has helped Jade so many times in the past and Jade has never repaid her, but when will they both girls become grateful for what they have now? When will they truly 'open' their eyes? Rated T. Fluffy/Small Hurt&Comfort. I own nothing but the plot. ENJOY!


**Grateful (JORI One-Shot)**

"Tooriii!" someone screams from the other room. It was filled with urgency. My eyes snap open as I rapidly jump from my bed. I'm half asleep but adrenaline still manages to course through my veins. My legs carry me to the person as quickly as they can. The soles of my feet smack against the wooden floorboard. My chest is heaving as I burst down the stairs and into the kitchen.

My wide eyes trail to my older sister, Trina, as she struggled with a enormous bag of flour. She looks up at me with hope. "Well? Come here and help me!" she exclaims, pulling on the ends of the bag. My sister gives a warrior shriek as her hands strain on the container.

A relieved but angry sigh escapes me. I run a hand through my messy hair. "Jeez, Trina. I thought you were dying. Don't scare me like that." She snorts and I chuckle. I help her with the bag, grabbing one end while she takes the other. We both pull on it, my muscles straining, and the bag tearing in half. Flour flies everywhere. And I mean, _everywhere_.

I get the white powder in my eyes and my hair and my pajamas. Trina spits out some flour that entered her mouth with a look of disgust. She wails weakly as I shake my hair, the flour flying onto her. My sister turns to me in anger. "Will you stop that?" she snaps. Grinning mischievously, I shake my head wildly, more of the white cooking powder landing on her. She screams, pushing me away. I just hold my stomach from the laughter. Her dark eyes bear into mine furiously but I shrug it off. After all, she does act like this _all _the time.

"What are you doing, anyway?" I ask her instead. She huffs, sliding the flour that was on the table into a bowl. My nose scrunches up at the thought of eating that.

She pours water into the mix and stirs it with a spoon. Trina looks back up at me and for once, I notice how tired she is. I examine the kitchen, gasping at the mess. "Mom's sick and _we _have to prepare the Thanksgiving feast." I take a moment to digest her words before the shock takes over.

I point to the two of us. "You mean, _we _have to cook _everything?_" She shrugs before nodding her head. "But-" My head turns to the clock. 12:17pm. "It's already twelve! We'll never cook a meal _that _big in time, Treen! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Her cheeks take in a rosy hue.

"I-I," she looks down at the bowl of mush in her hands. "I didn't wake up till recently too…" A loud, annoyed groan escapes my throat as I roughly tangle a hand through my dark hair. "Don't worry!" she reassures me. My sister places a flour covered hand on my shoulder. "I called Cat and Robbie for help. They said that their parents couldn't celebrate with them so they're joining us." Hope as well as sympathy floats within me.

My eyebrows furrow together, a frown forming on my face. "Poor Cat and Robbie." Trina bobs her head before returning to mixing the dough. "Hey," I call out, confused. "What do you need dough for?"

She turns to me, wide eyed. "For the breadsticks, duh. And if we need cornbread." A wide smile lightens up my face as I nearly jump my own sister. "What?" she yells.

"You're making cornbread?" I ask excitingly.

Her head cocks to the side. "Well, yeah. That's what I said, right?" Squealing like a little fangirl, I crush her in a bear hug. She chokes for air. I let go, grinning like a maniac. The older girl wheezes for air. Something wet splatters on my cheek.

My eyes narrow at her and her smug smile. There was an empty stirring spoon in her grasp. I touch the substance on my face, sniffing it. _Raw dough. _Before I could stop it, I fling myself at her, attacking her. She screams, flailing her arms around. "Ooh, you're gonna get it now, Trina!" I bellow in anger. My hand clutches the mixing bowl as I pour most of our hard work down her head. She screams again, pushing me off of her.

"Aww!" she moans. "This was my favorite shirt!" It was a royal blue t-shirt that says _'Hollywood Star.' _Little stars are at the hem of the blouse.

I jab a finger in her direction. "That was _my _shirt!" I remark. Our eyes meet and I burst out in laughter at her appearance. The white mush is all over her. She looks ridiculous. "You look terrible!" My body shakes in hysterics.

She grunts, tossing the bowl at me. All of the remaining dough splashes onto me. Then Trina grabs the bag and dumps the brittle flour on my head. I yelp in surprise. Shaking my body, some of the flour flies off but most of it is still on me. We bicker with each other furiously as the door bell rings. I stick my tongue out at her, emitting a childish noise. My sister does the same.

I scurry to the door, rubbing my eyes. My hand yanks on the doorknob and I come face-to-face with my friends. They look at me in shock as I smile awkwardly. Cat reacts first.

"Tori!" she gasps. "What happened?" The redhead grabs my arm. I sigh heavily.

"Trina happened," I admit sourly.

"You started it!" she retorts.

I turn around swiftly, meeting her stare. "Did not!" I bark. "You flinged the dough at me first _then _I attacked you!" She huffs, continuing on cleaning up the kitchen. A victorious smile stretches my lips. Cat giggles.

"Oh, Tori. You and your sister never stop fighting, do you?" I snort, shaking my head. I look up at the others, freezing when my eyes meet a blue green pair.

The blood drains from my face as I quickly avert my gaze. _Jade's here?! What's she doing here? _I recompose myself as I smile kindly. "Uh, Jade…wasn't expecting you to be here." _Yeah! Why are you here? _

The goth shrugs, picking at her fingernails. "Cat dragged me along and there was nothing else to do, so I thought, why not annoy you instead?" Her eyes shine as she smirks at me. I swallow the lump in my throat as I nod uncertainly. The ravenette's intense gaze sends shivers down my spine. She walks in, plopping herself down on my couch.

Robbie just sends me a quick smile before hurrying in and helping Trina. My brows knit together. "Where's Andre?" I look at Cat for an explanation.

"Oh!" she squeaks. "He didn't come," she deadpans. I drag my hand over my face. This girl could frustrate me sometimes but not as much as the goth. A cheerful smile blossoms on her face, like a rainbow spreading over the sky. "Can we help now?" I nod and she jumps up and down, racing to the kitchen. She jumps onto Robbie and Trina as they all fall down and pots clatter everywhere. I cringe at the agonized sounds and the metal against the floor. The perky redhead still manages to giggle.

A snicker departs from Jade. "I should come here more often, Vega, if you offer free entertainment." Her mouth curls into a wicked smirk. My hands quiver in a wave of emotions.

"You-" I falter, shaking my head, sprinting towards the mess. There are food covered limbs everywhere. I clutch both sides of my head. All of the food is on the ground and no longer edible. A high pitched squeak leaves me. "How are we supposed to cook a full feast if there's no more food?!" I screech. All I see are empty plates and the shame.

The dark haired boy sits up, wiping his red sauced glasses. "Relax, Toro," he soothes. Trina inhales sharply. I lunge at him, holding the boy by his throat. He yelps in surprise, his eyes wide.

My vision clouds up, leaving me uncontrollable. "Never. Tell. Me. To. Calm. Down!" I holler, ready to hurt him. "All the food is gone and on you guys!" Before my hand reaches his face, someone yanks me away from him. I squirm in their hold but their strong hands grip me tighter. An irritated growl escapes me. "Let me go!"

"Stop fighting, Vega," they hiss into my ear. The blood in my body runs cold, leaving me motionless. She sighs in relief, pulling me into the living room. That's when I realize that she was holding onto my waist.

Sand fills my mouth, cotton balls stuffing up my brain; making me feel fuzzy. "You can let go now, Jade," I mumble in defeat. She hums in agreement, detaching her hands from me. I immediately miss her warmth. _What?_ I roll my shoulders, getting the blood flowing. I clap my hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, this is what we'll do," I pause, thinking about it. "Jade, Cat, and I will head to the supermarket or whatever, and get the stuff we need. Robbie and Trina will stay here and clean up the mess and prepare everything till we come back. Clear?"

The teens nod and I wrap my fingers around the pale girl's wrist. I feel her muscles tense under her skin. "C'mon," I urge and she curtly nods as Cat follows us to Jade's black car. Not a surprise that it's black. It is her favorite color after all.

We hop into her car, putting our seatbelts on. "Ooh, neat!" Kitty Cat exclaims. "These are real seatbelts! Not rope!" Jade and I give each other a worried look before turning away. You get used to the strange comments when you're with Cat. It just takes time to adjust. A _lot _of time. The goth starts the car and we're on our way to the supermarket. Cat taps on my shoulder and I sigh.

"Yes, Cat?" She giggles and tilts her head to the side.

"What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving?" My eyebrows scrunch up in thought.

Snapping my fingers, I grin. "I like to give thanks to the people in my life that I love and cannot live without. The food is good but it's important to give thanks." She squeaks and smiles at me, her dimple appearing on her cheek. With one hand, I tug lightly on her cheek, like how an old woman does to a baby or child. I pout my lips. "That's right, Cat, I wuv you oh so very much!" I say in my 'baby voice.' The petite girl giggles, swatting my hand away. She still has some corn in her hair and clothes. I grin, sitting back comfortably in my seat. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the ravenette visibly tense.

"What about you, Jadey?" Cat questions. I notice that both of us still have food on us. Why hasn't Jade nagged about it yet? I thought that she would notice by now. "What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving?"

Our driver exhales heavily and recurls her fingers around the wheel. "Well, I like eating the feast and getting together with the people I actually care about," she confesses, not looking at us. I blink, my eyes widening.

I nudge her shoulder. "Since when does badass West act all soft and caring?" Valentine giggles at the term 'Badass West.' It's true though. People at school actually call her that. A light growl emerges from her chest. I raise my hands in defeat.

"Don't get used to it, Vega," she snaps, meeting my stare. Blue green paralyzes me in my seat. "I never show this side to anyone. Feel grateful." She pulls over and parks the car at a nearby supermarket. Jade leaves the car, us doing them same. We all enter the store, the smell of food hitting me straight in the face. Drool trickles down my chin. A sweet, tender scent makes my stomach growl. "Me want food," I announce through my fogged brain.

I make a mad dash to the poultry section, ignoring all the weird looks I got. If I were a beast, my nails would become claws, my teeth sharpening. But alas, that didn't happen. Instead, I get a face full of purse. I hold my cheek and my eyes widen. There are people _fighting _for their food. Women push and shove one another while men punch and trip the other.

"This is actually happening," I mutter to myself. Preparing for some pain, I throw myself into the mob. My heart hammers in my chest. Adrenaline releases within me. Elbows and arms jab into me but I swim through the body of limbs. Angry shouts are whispered into my ears. My arms flail at my sides, as I push through the bodies of angry, hungry people. The sight of a turkey catches my eye.

Licking my lower lip, I rush to it, wrapping my fingers around it. A triumphant shout bursts from my mouth. I run to the canned food goods section and meet up with the other two girls. They stare at me in amazement. "How in the world did you get through that crowd?" the goth asks in bewilderment.

Smiling, I just shrug. She stalks closer, making my breath hitch. "So you're saying that you just _passed_ through an enormous, vicious crowd without knowing how?" I let my lower lip out, nodding. Her eyes linger on my lip for a mere second before going back up to mine. "Interesting," she breathes. A violent shudder overwhelms me as I hold my gaze. She smiles before snatching the turkey from me, throwing it on the mountain of food in our cart. My brown eyes widen at the pile.

"Uh, how are we paying for all of this?" I ask. Cat's brown eyes lock on mine.

"With this!" she exclaims, holding up a credit card. I take it in my hands and examine it. It has the picture of a middle aged man with brown hair and dark eyes. My eyes dart to the name and I almost drop the card. The last name is West. This is Jade's father's credit card. Looking up, I stare into her emotionless eyes.

I open my mouth to say something but she cuts me off. "Don't thank me for it. Let's just pay the food and get out of here." She takes the cart and rushes to the cashiers. Her boots glide against the smooth tile ground. Cat skips after her and I slowly trail behind.

Since the people are still fighting over the food, the lines to pay are nearly existent. We literally throw the food on the counter. The cashier quickly checks them out and I hand him the card. He looks at it warily before scanning it. His dark eyes land on me with interest. Gulping nervously, I look away, shifting on my feet.

Cat, being the angel she is, places the bags in the cart. The goth signs for the credit card. She must've forged it. I still sense the guy's stare on me. He smiles when I look up. I suddenly feel so small. "Hey," he speaks up in a raspy voice. I lift a brow at him. "You wanna go out som-"

The pale girl looks up with rage. Her glare burns holes in him. "NO!" she denies, grabbing my hand. I jump but relax into her soft touch. Her fingers interlace with mine as she storms off, taking me with her.

The next thing surprises me more. Blasts of water hurtle towards us, drenching us in the freezing liquid. We both scream. I growl at the menaces. Their smirks could be no match for Jade's. The goth throws herself at the young boys and they shriek like little girls. I grip her waist. "I'd run if I were you," I grunt. They scurry off, probably scarred for life. I hold the girl closer. "Shh," I whisper in her ear. "Calm down. They're gone."

Her body loosens up, her back pressing against my chest. Slowly, I release her and take her hand. I lead her towards her car and take the driver's seat. I'm not letting a pissed off Jade West drive. Nope, not happening. Cat already packed everything in the trunk. How? I'm not sure. I start the car and pray that I don't hit any old ladies.

The drive is smooth and calm. None of us speak, not even Cat. The sound of tires rubbing against gravel make it to my ears. The steering wheel feels normal in my hands, not like a bomb ready to go off. We make it back to my place in no time and we carry the food into the house. Robbie and Trina hurry to prepare the food and Cat jumps in to help. She sets the table.

I run a hand through my now moist hair. _Stupid boys, _I think bitterly. I was about to go in when I hear a voice. "Tori, wait." I'm surprised by the full use of my name. Turning around, I witness Jade tugging at her leather jacket. I close the door, giving us more privacy. I rub my magenta sweater, upset that it got wet. Did those boys use super soakers or something? My whole body is covered in cold water.

"What is it, Jade?" I question her. My eyes focus on her intently. She opens her mouth but closes it quickly.

"Thank you for…_everything_, I guess." I scoot closer, staring deeply into her eyes.

Confusion is all I feel. "What do you mean?" I inquire softly. Her beautiful eyes lock on mine. The afternoon light makes her eyes shine like a million stars.

She hesitates. "You've helped me so much, Tori, that I-I don't know how to repay you. You've never made fun of me when I came to you in tears. I _hated _you and you still helped me!" Jade blinks. "I don't get it." Long pause. "Why are you doing this?" she whispers so only I can hear.

I move in closer. Jade is like the light and I'm the moth. I'm attracted to her. Yes, you heard right. I'm in love with Jade West, the tormentor of my life, yet the light that made everyday bearable. "I'm doing this because I care, Jade. There's nothing else to it." I swallow hard. "What are you grateful for, Jade?"

Her eyes widen and she gnaws on her lip. The goth takes a deep breath. She looks up into my eyes, no shield or barrier blocking me. "You. I'm grateful for you." The older girl steps closer, our bodies less than half a foot apart. "I love you, Tori." Her voice is so truthful, so sincere that it makes me fall for her more; if that's even possible.

I lean in, cupping one of her cheeks. She gets closer as I smile at her. "I love you too, Jade. Always have." She initiates the kiss. Her lips are pressed against mine, making me woozy. She tastes like coffee and mint gum. Her body radiates warm, something I never thought Jade had. I feel fireworks exploding in me.

We part for air, our foreheads on each others. Still cupping her face, I peck her cheek. "That's right. I love you so much, Jade. You're the one thing I'm eternally grateful for."

She smiles, true love behind it; not malice like it was before. We kiss again, my arms around her neck, hers at my waist. We never really did help the others cook the feast. We were…occupied. When it was time to eat, Jade, surprisingly, lead a small Thanksgiving prayer. I beamed at her. I've never felt so proud. While we were eating, we were holding each other's hand under the table. Her fingers squeeze mine. And I squeeze them back.

In all of my life, I have never been so grateful than I am now. Hope changes everybody, giving their lives' purpose. Now, I have all but one: To live happily with Jade. Life may not always be perfect but you can always be grateful. With Jade by my side, I can easily say that my life just became perfect. Be grateful; the more you give thanks, the more thanks you will receive.

Be grateful for what you have; you'll end up having more. Don't take life for granted; you might get a surprise or two.

I'll always have my Jade, and she'll always have me.

**The End**


End file.
